Tokeras

In Senegal West Africa, it is important to have a namesake; someone you are named after or someone who is named after you. You have a special bond with this person and they are like part of your family. In the Pulaar language, this is called "Tokera". Here I am circa the year 2000 in the village of Allah Bougou, with my tokera, Maimouna, and her baby boy. Maimouna honored me by making her son my father's tokera. From then on, Baby Gustav was often referred to in my presence as "baaba ma" meaning "your father".